Newsletters 2009
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Newsletters - 2009
Expectations were high before Copenhagen. Afterwards all we can say is: an informal accord is better than nothing. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it like this:it is an essential beginning. And yes, there are new technologies to fight the climate change. But ... where were the voices of women in Copenhagen?
In this newsletter a first call for IAW 35th Congress 2010 in South Africa. There is CEDAW, CSW and UNESCO. We have a look at the figures on trafficking in South-Asia, and at the seemingly never ending conflicts in Pakistan and Congo. And every year there are more women in leading roles, so they can put their energy and strength into shaping a better world.
Our best wishes to you all for happy holidays and in particular, for a peaceful 2010!
Three big issues in this newsletter: 1) preparing for the Commission on the Status of Women by looking at the implementation of the Platform of Action 15 years after Beijing; 2) the Copenhagen Summit and the position of women during the warming-up of the earth; 3) you will find several issues concerning women all over the world, such as: the outrage of 43 small islands; the connection between sexual and reproductive health and HIV; older women; Muslim suffragettes; the courage of women to unite against rape in conflict areas; hunger and the enormous sum that is yearly spent on arms; the arms treaty; good news from the Global Gender Gap Index 2009, and news of several surveys, reports, links etc, at the end.
Two new resolutions by the Security Council, of the utmost importance for women. Another step has been taken! Also a step forward for a possible Arms Trade Treaty.
Other issues are: an evaluation of 15 years Cairo 1994 on Population and Development, the result of several conferences on Climate Change, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW, a new structure for the European Union and child labour in India.
IAW is preparing for CSW, focussing on the implementation of Beijing+15. Our representatives in the Human Rights Council have mailed news on the Universal Periodic Review and the New York team has been attending sessions of the UN Second and Third Committee.
IAW is very pleased with the adoption of the resolution on creating a new single entity within the UN to promote the rights of women. There still is a lot to decide, like the mission, the structure and the funding of the new entity, but the first step has been taken.
We had a lot of requests this time from members to print articles and news – from India, the US, Afghanistan, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Australia – on sexual and reproductive health, on campaigning against violence and the (good) role of fathers. Thank you all!
The negotiations on climate change are still in full swing. We will try to look at the role of women in the negotiations in the next newsletter. Please mail us your suggestions.
We looked this time at the extensive discussions in the Security Council on Sexual Violence and in particular at the situation of the millions of asylum-seekers, refugees, stateless persons and internally displaced persons in the world.
You will find only a selection of the remarks here, but we do hope you can see how important it is to convince your government to sign the Optional Protocol to ECOSOC in time !
Women in politics: how do they handle opposition? With examples from the UK, Congo and Japan.
Also in this newsletter: the programmes of CSW 2010-2014 and that of CEDAW 2009-2010. And, there are still possibilities for funding the women’s movement.
Conferences and links to interesting websites are as usual at the end of the newsletter.
An important time for the coming General Assembly of ECOSOC, the UN Economic and Social Council. On the agenda are decisions to be taken on several women's issues.
One issue we mention with pride – maternal mortality – which has been in preparation over three years by Hélène Sackstein, IAW representative at the UN Human Rights Council in collaboration with other NGOs.
Also in this newsletter – Women in Politics in India and in Europe, news from the Greek League for Women’s Rights, the problem with the shortage of workers in health care in Africa and what is mobile health or mHealth? You will find coming events, reports etc. as usual at the end.
This time our main issue is the situation of women and children in refugee camps. There are thousands of them. UN Agencies are trying to help as well as they can, but so much is needed.
The violence against women and girls in war – and conflict areas, the sale of arms, the weak and/or bad governance, and brave attempts for Peace were at the centre of the discussions during the IAW Board meeting.
In this newsletter we go around the world with maids in India, nominations at the Human Rights Council, women in Iran, a campaign to protect women from gun violence in the home, and so on.
At the end you will find news of conferences, reports and forthcoming events.
Disturbing international news – we can give you only a selection, for example on the situation of Pakistan and the process against Aung San Suu Kyi.
A lot of worldwide preparation too in this newsletter, all important for the position of women. On Climate Negotiations leading to Copenhagen, on the Economic Crisis and on Disaster Reduction. IAW is preparing the International Meeting in Switzerland and the issues of the Commissions on the Status of Women 2010.
At the end of the newsletter you will find a link to an interesting e-letter: a ‘Legal Eye’, on the International Criminal Court.
This time a longer and well written article on a resolution on religion, supported by IAW. If you like to read the resolution in full, just send mail to (iaw.newsletter@inter.nl.net) for an attachment. The article can also be seen as background to recent news on women’s human rights in Afghanistan and the Swat district in Pakistan.
Other issues are: a reminder of the IAW International Meeting in June in Switzerland, women’s place in politics, illiteracy and education, recent appointments, the second IAW side event at CSW, equal sharing of responsibilities for the rural woman etc.
As usual you will find reports, events and actions at the end.
At the Commission on the Status of Women this year IAW’s presence was strong! We are proud and happy with the broadcast of the IAW side-event on ‘Climate Change Negotiations’. You will find a copy on www.womenalliance.org/Weblog.
The IAW letter, on the Taliban regime which destroyed girl’s schools and now is allowed to introduce Sharia law in the Swat district of Pakistan, got a lot of support from NGOs. More on CSW in the next newsletter.
Good news about more funding for UNDP and UNIFEM, and we are to have a UN Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues! But we are a bit worried about the funding of a new UN Women's Entity. As you can see, IAW is preparing for the three-yearly International Meeting in Switzerland – the program looks very interesting.
As always, you will find news on conferences, events, reports etc. at the end.
CSW is the top priority for IAW at the moment. We wish all the IAW members attending CSW constructive dialogues with the delegations of the UN member states and with other NGOs. Every CSW sees some (small) steps towards progress of the women’s movement worldwide!
We at home will be waiting with interest for reports. For instance on the side event sponsored by IAW and the Global Gender and Climate Alliance. Also on the result of the Open Letter on girls education IAW President Rosy Weiss is taking with her to CSW.
In this newsletter lots of news from the UN. We ask you to give special attention to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. The situation is alarming! Alarming also is the future of reducing hunger, as figures on the Hunger Index shows.
As always, you will find news on conferences, events, reports etc. at the end.
One of the 10 promises of Barack Obama as President of the United States has been set into motion: “Close the Guantanamo Bay detention center”. Please read the pledge of the new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on acid attacks on girls and women. It is in line with the IAW action on the attacks and closing of schools for girls in the North of Pakistan.
At the other hand, there are also Imams (in Bangladesh) who are standing against all forms of violence against women at home, at school, at work or at street.
In this newsletter news and figures on AIDS in West-Africa. Orphaned children due to AIDS will certainly be one of the aspects of “Equal sharing of responsibility between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS”, the main issue of CSW.
IAW representatives have been doing good work at the Human Rights Council, the European Women's Lobby and the Council of the EU.
Other good new too: Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg was elected as the 65th President of the United Nations (ECOSOC), the second woman to lead the Council.
Events, Publications and some interesting websites are, as usual, at the end of the newsletter.
